172 Missouri Agricul I ural 1\( porl. 



most possible out of what the farm produces or eaii be made to produce. 

 We are extravagant feeders of corn and probably always will l)e through- 

 out the corn belt. Corn is our greatest feed for beef production and 

 always will be. And yet I think we are extravagant in the use of corn. 

 I think we feed too much corn alone, to the exclusion of other products 

 that might be fed profitably with the corn. 1 tliink shock corn is one 

 of the best single feeds that can be given a steer, and it is the best single 

 feed that can be fed throughout the feeding period. As a rule, I would 

 say, it does not pay to grind corn for cattle, and yet I grind nearly 75 

 per cent of all the corn I feed, and for this reason: I have only a small 

 farm — 100 acres — mostly in grass, and I buy practically all my feed. I 

 grow a few acres of corn and put it in the shock. I find that by grinding 

 corn, cob and all, and compelling the cattle to consume the cob with the 

 corn, I save a great amount of roughness. Cattle will do very well on 

 corn and cobmeal alone without other roughness, and I think for the first 

 30 to 60 days 100 pounds of corn and cobmeal is worth as much as 100 

 pounds of shelled corn. A little later the cob can be eliminated with 

 profit. I have used a self-feeder for a number of years with very satis- 

 factory results. 



On account of economy of labor 1 think the self-feeder can l)e used 

 with profit. 1 would prefer, if it could be done, to feed cattle just what 

 they would clean up regularly, but on account of saving of time an 1 

 labor I largely use the self-feeder and my cattle have done very well. I 

 am feeding in connection with corn and cob meal either cotton seed meal 

 or linseed meal. The cotton seed meal is stronger but not so safe as the 

 other, especially with young cattle. Older cattle, that we expect to 

 market in three to five months, we prefer to feed cotton seed meal, feeding 

 from 3 to 5 pounds a day to the steer. I have soaked corn for cattle 

 and I have cooked corn for them, and I believe to soak the corn has 

 increased the value of it ten per cent. The cooking was not very satis- 

 factory. I want to say here to feeders, that if your system of handling 

 and feeding cattle has been profitable to you, if you have been getting 

 satisfactory results for the amount of labor involved, money invested and 

 feed consumed, I would not advise you to change your feeding operations 

 on account of anything I may say; but if results have not been satis- 

 factory to you, 1 think a gathering together of feeders like this can be 

 of mutual benefit by exchanging ideas, one with the other. 



The question of marketing these cattle after once finished is a very 

 important one. T think that when a feeder puts his cattle in the feed lot 

 he should, considering the ({uality, age and flcsli of his cattle, the avail- 

 able feed and his bank account, decide tlicn when those cattle should be 



